Cesar commits to Chelsea

Cesar Azpilicueta has today signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract, keeping him at Chelsea until 2020.

Azpilicueta, 27, will make his 200th Chelsea appearance if selected at Sunderland tomorrow night as we seek a 10th successive Premier League victory.

Upon signing the new deal, Azpilicueta said: 'I’m really happy to have signed a new contract. Since I arrived here my target was to progress as a player and win trophies. This new contract gives me the chance to continue my relationship with the club, that’s what I wanted and obviously I’m really happy here.

‘We’ve had some really good moments so far this season. From day one, we started working very hard. We have a new manager with new ideas and I’m really happy to be working with him. Obviously we can still improve but the long-term aim for us is to win trophies, that is what we all want, the players, manager and fans.'

Technical director Michael Emenalo added: ‘We are delighted Cesar has chosen to extend his stay with us. Since he arrived four years ago he has proved himself to be an excellent professional and a top player, which he shows in every single training session and match.

‘Cesar wasted no time in adopting the Chelsea mentality and spirit, and anybody who has met him will have seen his incredible and undiluted commitment to the Chelsea cause.’

The 27-year-old joined Chelsea months after we had become European champions in August 2012, gradually establishing himself as a versatile and reliable member of the defence which lifted the Europa League in 2013.

Having been a regular at right-back, Azpilicueta switched to the left in late 2013 as he kept Ashley Cole out of the side, and his form in the 2014/15 season as a part of the country’s meanest defence helped us to the Premier League title.

This season there has been another change to position following Antonio Conte’s switch of formation, with the Spanish international operating primarily as the right-sided defender in a back three.

Azpilicueta’s has so far played 199 times, scoring four times, most recently the superb volley away at Leicester in this season’s EFL Cup.